Life's Unexpected Pleasures
by Ren Kayashima
Summary: 2018 Berkeley and Dave is ready to check in on his daughter as she starts the next stage of her life in a new home. Complete. One-Shot. A Tarot Series One-Shot.


Author: Ren Kayashima

Rating: K

Disclaimer: Alas my top secret mission to steal the rights to Criminal Minds failed. At the last minute my repel line broke and I was arrested for trespassing on ABC grounds. If you would like to help me with bail money…

**Note: This is in relation to my Tarot Series. If you want the full story, you can find all of the connected stories on my profile. **

0o0o0o0

September 27, 2018; Berkeley, California

_Christine's Music Box _didn't look like much on the outside. Large bay windows looked out on Telegraph Street. Looking in, a normal person would see several shelves of music scores, records, and books on theory, and a music lover would see heaven. Along the back wall several violins, cellos, and violas hung for easy access. Keyboards and upright pianos sat below the stringed instruments.

Dave stood outside looking at the childish writing on the wooden door. The block lettering was in a rainbow of colors and advertised a multitude of services that ranged from private lessons to repairs.

Taking a deep breath, Dave opened the door and poked his head in. "Excuse me," he spoke, coughing a bit. "Are you open for business?"

A light female voice came from one of the backrooms. "I'll be right there. Please feel free to look around and I'll be able to help in a minute."

Dave smiled as he stepped inside. He circled the shop, stopping once he reached the back. He looked down at a black stained upright, pushing down some of the white keys, creating a resonating chord that echoed in the shop. The sound brought a small smile to his face.

"Dad?"

Dave looked up to see his daughter standing before him. She had pulled her wavy black hair up and her green eyes smiled in glee. She was dressed in ripped jeans and a paint splattered white t-shirt.

"Rori, you look great!" Dave said beaming as he walked over. He placed his hands on her shoulder as he leaned in to kiss her forehead.

"You weren't supposed to arrive until tomorrow." Rori laughed, hugging her father tightly. She took a deep breath as she held on. "Don't get me wrong, I love that you're here. I miss you so much."

Dave took a step back as he waved a hand around. "You look to be all set up," he mused. "It looks really nice." He had never once doubted that Rori and her business partner would be unsuccessful in setting up the music shop, but he hadn't exactly imagined it would look this organized after only two weeks.

Rori blew out a sigh as she scanned the walls. "Just about," she answered. "We couldn't stay closed just to make sure everything was perfect. We're getting the practice rooms finished today, and after that, I just need put the finishing touches on the place."

"I'm sure it will all come together," Dave nodded. He crossed his arms. "Can you take some time for lunch?"

"If you want to pick it up and bring it here," Rori answered, biting her lip. "Kaoru is in L.A. this week recording scores for some book to movie thing," she said with knowing smirk.

"No employees yet?" Dave asked curiously. He had thought that given the fact that they were almost next to the University of California, Berkeley, Rori would have found a couple of willing college students to man a cash register.

"Well, I can't really afford an extra employee right now," Rori answered. "Kaoru and I put almost all of our money into getting this store on its feet. Pianos and all the other instruments aren't cheap. Add in the cost of three sound proof practice rooms, and the composition center we have in the back, and this store had a lot of money put into it."

"But it's only an additional piece of income," Dave said. He grinned. "You and Kaoru are making music for Hollywood! That's profitable. Very profitable."

Dave tried as he might, but he couldn't contain the large amount of pride that bubbled up inside of him when he thought about his two kids and where they were in their lives. At twenty-five, Rori was living in California with her husband, Kenta. Her long-time friend and fellow composer, Kaoru (Kenta's twin) lived in Berkeley in an apartment above their store.

Dave's other child was more like a step-son, but a son nonetheless. Kyle Bishop lived in D.C. with his wife, Kono (the twin's older sister). Kyle had been quickly rising up in the FBI, something that Dave was extremely proud of given his own success in the FBI.

"All right, all right," Dave conceded when Rori crossed her arms stubbornly. "I'll go get food and bring it here. Is there anything in particular that you want?"

"Sandwich and water," Rori answered. She pulled out her cell phone. "I'm going to call the company that's doing my practice rooms while you're gone. See if they can give me an ETA on when they'll be here."

Dave nodded patting his back pocket to check that his wallet was there. "Give me twenty minutes," Dave said as he made his way to the door. He had to coax himself into stepping out into the chaotic sidewalks of downtown Berkeley. It was the first month of the semester at UC Berkeley, and Dave knew it would be a mad house if he didn't pay attention.

0o0

It wasn't long before Rori and Dave sat behind the store counter with sandwiches and a bottle of water each. Dave had to swallow before he spoke. "How's Kenta doing at Apple?" he asked.

"He's doing great," Rori answered. "He really likes working on the new operating systems with his team. The commute from our place in Hillsborough is pretty simple. It's also the same amount of time I spend getting here."

"Good, I wasn't sure about getting that place for you when you moved out here," Dave admitted, taking another bite of his pastrami sandwich. "But it seems to be doing just fine."

"You didn't have to buy us a house, Dad," Rori explained, wiping her mouth.

"It was a wedding gift," Dave said hastily, waving a hand around. "You can't give it back."

"I know," Rori moaned. This had to be the sixth time he had told her that the colonial style home in the upscale town of Hillsborough was a gift. Every single time, Dave insisted that she couldn't give it back, that she couldn't offer to pay him back for the down payment on the house, that she would just have to deal with her very wealthy father doting on her. She looked around happily. "I'm so happy to be here in the Bay Area again. It's nice. And I can visit San Francisco anytime I want to see Joy running the Mrs. Norris' hotel."

"I'm glad you chose the Bay Area, too," Dave grunted before he chugged down some water. "If you had moved to L.A. like I thought you were going to, you'd have to come see me because I refuse to venture into that place any longer."

Rori rolled her eyes and shook her head in amusement, pausing when she realized that this might be a great way to catch her dad off guard. "Not even if it meant you got to see your grandchildren?" she asked, raising a well-manicured eyebrow.

"Nope, not- wait, what?" Dave asked, changing direction mid-sentence. He looked down at Rori's stomach flat stomach. "You aren't-"

"Pregnant?" Rori supplied with a coy smile. She nodded quickly, deciding not to keep her dad in the dark any longer. "Kenta and I found out a couple weeks ago. We were going to tell you over dinner when you arrived."

Dave jumped up from his stool, forgetting his sandwich as it fell to the floor. Rori had to toss her plate and sandwich on the counter before her father pulled her up and into a tight hug. He kissed her on each cheek several times, yelling happily in Italian and English. Rori patted her dad's back as she laughed.

"I thought you might like that."

0o0o0o0

Author's Note: So I've kind of been sitting on this for a bit because it's a very special one-shot. It's in the future, and it kind of lets you know about some things that happen in the future. Of course, in order to do this right, I had to get to the right place in The Fool's Card to really go anywhere. I had a lot of fun writing it, and I hope you enjoyed it.

**As many of you know, the nomination period for the Profiler's Choice Awards ended on the fifteenth of this month, but have no fear! The final ballot is up and I'm happy to announce that The Fool's Card (yes, this very story) has managed to snag two nominations in the final ballot. The two categories that The Fool's Card will be featured in are "Best Overall Fic" and "Best Characterization of David Rossi". I was completely shocked to receive the nominations, but I couldn't have done it without you guys. Thank you to all who nominated me, and I hope you continue to enjoy this adventure as it unfolds one chapter at a time. **

Please, leave a review if you get the chance.

Ren


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